I'm with you, Murphy's Law!

Sensory input = Danger, Will Robinson, danger!

I can't stand to be around people I don't know, unless there's a specific reason/necessity ... I go blank; I freeze. Very embarrassing, to say the least...and I brain-fart in the middle of a thought or sentence and I cannot retrieve the thread.

Fortunately, I am 49 years old and perimenopause is a convenient excuse for my brain-farts

I've become very -- perhaps too -- adept at keeping myself to myself. On the other hand, I'm learning how to "ration" my contact with others so that my intimates and friends get the best of me